Free Coffee All October and November at MPavilion

Last year Melbourne’s annual architecture pop-up, MPavilion, sold 15,000 cups of coffee.

During the planning stages for the 2017 instalment, organisers decided to introduce an initiative that would reduce the waste of some of that consumption.

“MPavilion and Three Thousand Thieves wanted to do something special to try and entice the people of Melbourne to drink coffee responsibly,” says Athan Didaskalou, whose Three Thousand Thieves is curating the 2017 pavilion kiosk. “Inspired by the ABC’s War on Waste, and the Waste Reduction Plan by the City of Melbourne, we came up with an idea that rewards people for thinking ahead.

“This installation is absolutely beautiful in one of the most pristine parks in this city. MPavilion is about appreciation of the space in Melbourne… We thought what better way to pay tribute to it than to give people a reason to respect it, and not trash it.”

So throughout October and November, the kiosk will serve free coffee to anyone who brings their own cup.

“A KeepCup, a mug from home – coffee is on the house,” says Didaskalou. “Free.”

The kiosk is open every day from 9am to 4pm, with coffee from Clark Street Coffee Roasters, 5 Senses and Rumble Roasters, plus a variety of snacks and drinks from the likes of Capi, Shadowfax Wines, Melbourne Gin Company and Starward Whisky.
“As an industry we’ve been so focused on what’s inside the cup that everything else was just a small cost to reaching nirvana. As the industry matures, we began focusing on the sustainability of coffee – the farmers, the methods, and the consumption vessels,” Didaskalou says.

“Waste and sustainability is now the key focus area. Melbourne, and of course, Australia, have been the leaders in coffee quality and innovation for a long time. It’s now our chance to show the world again how to innovate with coffee sustainability too.”